Pantene repositions itself as the brand that helps women ‘shine’

Globally, Pantene will now follow the positioning, ‘Shine. I believe I can’. In India, model and actor Sushmita Sen has been roped in to endorse the brand, encouraging women to shine both from outside and within

Procter & Gamble’s beauty shampoo brand, Pantene, has donned a new avatar globally, complete with a new packaging, logo, positioning statement and even brand ambassador.

Pantene will now be positioned as the brand that helps bring out a woman’s inner shine, with the help of her outer shine (on using the shampoo). The idea is to bring out the best in women, both internally and externally.

According to Sumeet Vohra, marketing director, P&G India, this repositioning was a must, as the brand needed to refresh itself in consumers’ minds. “A Pantene Shine Research study led by global scientists from the Oxford Hair Foundation, and P&G’s Beauty using eye-tracking technology revealed that eyes are drawn to visible shine,” he says. “This outer shine of great-looking hair is directly transformed into the confidence of one’s inner shine.”

This study is what led to the global repositioning, which has already happened in six markets over the world. In the Asian market specifically, this new positioning has been unveiled in Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines, apart from India. Pantene will now sport a new tagline: ‘Shine. I Believe I Can’.

It will also have a new packaging and a new, wave-like logo called the Shirra, named after a North African wind, symbolising transformation, energy and confidence of womankind. In addition, model and actor Sushmita Sen has been roped in to endorse the brand’s new philosophy, as she is believed to be a self-made professional possessing that inner spark of confidence and self-belief. Pantene has, over the years, been endorsed by many well-known faces in Bollywood such as Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif and Shilpa Shetty.

Sen remarks, “According to me, Pantene is a legacy that celebrates women. I tend to endorse very few brands as I need to relate to the brand perfectly. As Pantene stands for a celebration of health, beauty and confidence, I decided to associate myself with the brand.”

The campaign for the re-launch of the brand will largely involve television, followed by point of purchase (PoP) activities. The shape of the ‘Shirra’ logo will be leveraged at retail outlets to make the brand appear even more feminine. The TVC, on the other hand, shows Sen talking into the camera about how she used to get ‘disappointed’ with dull and unhealthy hair, till she discovered the ‘shine’ in the all-new Pantene. A case of déjà vu, isn’t it?

When asked why the TVC has taken the beaten path of the ‘before-after’ approach, considering that the brand has something new to say, Vohra explains, “Advertising is designed to show the benefits which consumers want. We too want to delight consumers in a manner that is simple to understand and easy to remember.”

The campaign has been created by Grey Worldwide.

Apart from this marketing campaign, Pantene will enter two arenas. First, the brand, in association with Whisper, will launch an all-women job hunt reality show on ZEE News. The three-month show, which kicks off in October, will invite entries from 18-30-year-old women across the country to compete for their dream job.

In addition, Pantene has launched the concept of the Pantene Shine awards, wherein Indian beauty experts who have shone in their personal and professional journey will be honoured with the Pantene Shine award. The awards were kick-started this year by honouring six women from different walks of life. These include Anjali Mukherjee, Queenie Dhody, Dilshad Pastakia, Kalpana Sarangi, Deepika Mehta and Anita Dongre.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!